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Where do you want to ride?

J

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
Well, I should be graduating from college this May and, at the moment, I have no definite plans. I have decided no more school for a year and I want to take some time off after graduation to do something interesting, fun and exciting. I have not gone on a real vacation or anything like that in ages.

My friends and I are thinking of a bike tour (road, camping etc) or something, but I have a feeling that it won't pan out or it will become too expensive for me. I was also thinking about doing a trip to do some mountain biking in all the places I've wanted to ride and see but never could.


I have a car, a spare few months next year, a little bit of money (not much!) and a desire to ride trails of all kinds. I love to camp, hike, swim, travel on the cheap and be outdoors (and I don't mind sleeping in my car....). I have a cyclocross bike, a trailbike and a DH bike and I like to use them all (though my preferences lean towards the DH end).

Where would you go? What are the best places to ride in this country and maybe in the land of our neighbors to the north? The only places I've been riding are the North East and Idaho. And I don't want to just hear about what's cool in your back yard. Where are the best places you've been or know about?
 
kinghami3

kinghami3

Future Turbo Monkey
Jun 1, 2004
2,239
0
Ballard 4 life.
PNW, biased but true. From Oregon to the Shore, Mt. Biking galore. :thumb: I would be interested to find some of the good stuff in Brazil, but it would be insanely expensive to get down there with your gear.
 
.:Jeenyus:.

.:Jeenyus:.

Turbo Monkey
Feb 23, 2004
2,831
1
slc
Make sure to drop by Ashland if your touring Oregon. We have some great trails and the best skatepark in the area.
 
Y

younger22

Monkey
Apr 26, 2005
106
0
Upstate NY
awesome idea man, after college I want to do the same thing, I want to make it to as many places as possible. I would love to live in Vancouver for a year to bike and ski whistler...Colorado is up there on my list, also I would like to tool around in the Alps. My ideal after college excursion would include a combination of hiking, biking and kayaking for a year or two, sounds like a long time, but it would be worth it to me
 
sanjuro

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
I rode from Seattle to San Francisco, but the real Pacific Coast trip is Vancouver to San Diego (although I did meet people who were riding from Alaska to Chile).

You could spend as little at $10 a day on this trip. I never spent more than $12 a day on housing, and never more than $4 for campsites (sometime free). The food you have to buy, but I ate things like fafael mix and noodles, which is are literally pennies.

The trip is easy and there are plenty of other cyclists to help you out or to keep you company.

I started my ride by myself, but I only rode alone for 2 days. It took me about 15 days, and it was the trip of my life.
 
TreeSaw

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,811
2,132
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
sanjuro said:
I rode from Seattle to San Francisco, but the real Pacific Coast trip is Vancouver to San Diego (although I did meet people who were riding from Alaska to Chile).

You could spend as little at $10 a day on this trip. I never spent more than $12 a day on housing, and never more than $4 for campsites (sometime free). The food you have to buy, but I ate things like fafael mix and noodles, which is are literally pennies.

The trip is easy and there are plenty of other cyclists to help you out or to keep you company.

I started my ride by myself, but I only rode alone for 2 days. It took me about 15 days, and it was the trip of my life.
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That sounds awesome!!! Did you ride off road as well?
 
dfinn

dfinn

Turbo Monkey
Jul 24, 2003
2,129
0
SL, UT
i might be biased and I haven't been riding in too many other places but tahoe has the best riding I've ever done. from XC - DH there's anything you could want around here.
 
mobius

mobius

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
2,158
0
Around DC
I guess europe or aussie land. I went on a road trip like 2 summers ago and hit everything between virginia and whistler and was in whistler and vancouver for 2 weeks.
 
narlus

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
65
behind the viewfinder
well i see a lot of IMBY responses...i'd hit up Loo for a PM to see how his tour went. he definitely covered some ground.

if you want to use the DH bike, you are much more limited than if you wanted to use an XC or FR bike (unless you don't mind walking). so if that is a bike which is gonna see most action, definitely hit up the north shore/whistler area. however, it's a long drive.

for my $, the best xc trails i've ever done are in colorado, specifically around durango. not saying the other places i've been to aren't good to great (bend, tahoe, sedona, flag, front range, brian head, moab, albu/santa fe, etc) but durango's the tops.

i would also give kidwoo a jingle. he's done some epic trail rides.

good luck, it sounds like fun.

:thumb:
 
R

RideND

Monkey
Nov 1, 2003
795
2
Mandan, ND
I am gonna throw out a odd destination here, but I love Bozeman, Montana. I hear Missoula is great too. Fruita was really fun but I like Bozeman better. I would love to hit up Oregon and Whistler, though. SoCal looks nice from the pics I have seen and Snowshoe looks great too. But for places I have been go to Bozeman and ride the Maah Daah Hey (Medora, ND) on your way through.
 
OGRipper

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,735
1,247
NORCAL is the hizzle
Dude, if you really have months for this and plan to do it during the summer, pack your trail and DH bikes and your camping gear and do a cross country loop through the states to the west coast, then up into BC. For a partial list, Durango, Moab, Tahoe, Downieville/Graeagle, Oregon, Vancouver, Squamish, and (of course) Whistler are all meccas to hit and it would be super cheap if you camp most of the time.
 
narlus

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
65
behind the viewfinder
SkaredShtles said:
I'll comment on great places to ride XC in Colorado:

Crested Butte/Gunnison/Salida
Fruita
Summit County (Breck/Keystone area)
Vail

All will blow your socks off if you enjoy long, tech, high trails.
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SS, have you not ridden in durango? :oink:
 
SkaredShtles

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
67,771
14,132
In a van.... down by the river
narlus said:
SS, have you not ridden in durango? :oink:
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Nope.

Funny thing - when an area is 7 hours away and there are so many epic rides undone within 1-3 hours, it always takes a real effort to commit to such an excursion.

That's why I think it's easier for you folks who don't live here when you visit. :D

Edit: I've backpacked extensively down there, but never ridden there.
 
stevew

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
41,151
10,092
SkaredShtles said:
Funny thing - when an area is 7 hours away and there are so many epic rides undone within 1-3 hours, it always takes a real effort to commit to such an excursion.

That's why I think it's easier for you folks who don't live here when you visit. :D
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Don't remind me. I was looking at a CO book at the bookstore yesterday. If they could cure CO of its snow problem and talentless drivers, I'd move back.
 
J

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

Right now, this is really just something for me to think about, but I do really like the idea. My biggest concerns are the cost and all the riding alone in unfamiliar places that will probably occur. But I can find ways around those...

I do love road trips, though. And I have an uncanny ability to drive long distances without stopping....
 
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